Inhibition of aggregation and secretion of human platelets by quercetin and other flavonoids: structure-activity relationships.

Quercetin and 12 other natural flavonoid aglycones inhibit washed human platelet aggregation and secretion of serotonin induced by ADP, collagen or thrombin. The inhibitory effect of flavonoids is of the same order of magnitude as IBMX and dipyridamole. The structural features required for a flavonoid to inhibit human platelet function are similar to those previously reported by us to inhibit cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. The inhibitory effect of flavonoids on human platelet function was diminished by saturation of the C-2, C-3 double bond, lack of the C-4 carbonyl, glycosylation at C-3 and a high number of hydroxyl substituents.